Sing'oei calls on DRC Leopards to turn historic World Cup run into a plea for peace

The appeal comes days after the Leopards scripted one of the tournament's most dramatic comebacks, overturning an early deficit to beat Uzbekistan 3-1 and seal a historic place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32.

Yoane Wissa struck twice, equalising with a 68th-minute penalty before adding a stunning long-range finish in stoppage time, while Fiston Mayele provided the go-ahead goal in the 78th minute.

The result carried enormous symbolic weight. It secured the Leopards' first-ever progression to the World Cup knockout stage, coming 52 years after their only previous appearance at the tournament in 1974. They now face England in the Round of 32. 

Drawing a powerful historical parallel, Sing'oei recalled how Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba and his teammates dropped to their knees before national television cameras in October 2005, following the Elephants' qualification for their first-ever FIFA World Cup, and pleaded with warring factions to lay down their arms and forgive one another. That emotional appeal is widely credited with helping inspire an immediate ceasefire in the Ivorian civil war.

Sing'oei believes the Leopards now stand at a similar crossroads, with the potential to transform football glory into a catalyst for lasting peace.

The stakes in Eastern DRC could hardly be higher. The M23 rebel group, backed by Rwanda, seized Goma, the capital of North Kivu, in January 2025, and weeks later captured Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu, before setting up parallel administrations in areas under their control. 

Despite a US-brokered peace agreement signed in December and subsequent talks in Switzerland, fighting has continued, with civilians in the South Kivu highlands described as facing a dire humanitarian crisis. 

The Congolese government and M23 are expected to resume peace talks in Switzerland soon, even as clashes continue in North and South Kivu. 

Against that backdrop, the Leopards' World Cup run has offered a rare moment of national unity for millions of Congolese. Captain Chancel Mbemba paid tribute to supporters across the country at the time of qualification, stressing that the achievement was a collective victory. "We're still here; the war isn't over yet," Mbemba said. "But first of all, I want to say thank you, because it's been 52 years.